Summer Brew: Iced Tea Recipes Part 2

When I think of summer, images of light blue swimming pools, colorful swimsuits and tall glasses of iced tea pop into my mind. During the summer iced tea is my beverage of choice. Although I like plain iced tea, I also enjoy experimenting with different flavors. Try these three herbal iced tea recipes to add some zest to this summer drink.

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup water, lemongrass and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to the dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the lemongrass and ginger to steep in the sugar syrup for at least half an hour. For more pronounced flavor, place in the refrigerator and allow to steep several hours or overnight.

2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the teabags, turn off the heat, and allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the teabags and discard. Pour the brewed tea into a heat-proof pitcher.

3. Strain the lemongrass ginger syrup through a small sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the solids, and add the syrup to the pitcher of tea. Add three cups of cold water to the tea, and stir well. Serve over ice.

The combinations of flavors of iced tea are endless. Do you have a great herbal iced tea recipe? Feel free to share it with me in the comment section!